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Fat Maggie’s, Lakeland

When we first pulled into the parking lot, we expected to be eating at a BBQ shack because, as you can see, it serves BBQ and it’s literally the size of a shack. It’s so tiny on the inside that it only can fit 8 2-top tables, which the servers are always pushing together and pulling apart to accommodate different sized parties.

I robotically sat down and ordered the pulled pork because… whelp, that’s what you do at a BBQ shack. Our server politely informed us that there are other menu options available that are much more popular. Namely, she was referring to the “Build-a-Sammi” menu.

I did what any red-blooded American would do. I ordered the biggest, most over-the-top, most bad ass burger that I could imagine. I ordered a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, which some will say is a wimpy decision. Here is a gentle reminder to those of you who aren’t hamburger connoisseurs; an “animal style” and “protein style” lettuce wrapped In-and-Out Burger is one of the most iconic burgers in American history. In order to put Fat Maggie’s to the test, I set a ridiculously high benchmark for comparison. Shockingly, Maggie’s burger measured up!

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a thousand words isn’t enough. I ordered the burger extra rare and it came out purple on the inside, which most places won’t do. The beer-cheese was heavenly, the whiskey peach BBQ sauce was life changing, and the candied bacon was as glorious as it sounds (take a second look at the Build-a-Sammi menu above to reference the items I mentioned). This fork-and-knife jobber was unforgettable, but was incredulously over-shadowed by their hotdog!

I could begin to describe this using terms such as “pretzel bun” and “Kobe beef,” but why bother? You simply have to have one yourself. I could also begin to mention that Fat Maggie’s serves craft beer, interesting desserts, and a brisket that typically sells out, but I’ll never have any details on those subjects. I will forever be a slave to the burgers and dogs here, so I will be unable to order anything else off of the menu. That’s just fine by us, though. In fact, the idea of coming back to Fat Maggie’s and ordering the same dishes over and over again makes us smile.

You really need to check out their brisket. I personally prefer it with the pretzel bun, beer cheese sauce, caramellized onions, and candied bacon to top it off. Its truly life-changing and will make you never enjoy another BBQ joint quite like Fat Maggie’s.